Camp JCC hosted its very first-ever Camp Gala during Week 7, followed by the camp’s much-anticipated annual lip-sync performance. Max Chapman, a veteran Counselor in Training (CIT), served as master of ceremonies for the lip sync and did an extraordinary job with his crowd work. In Week 4, a camp carnival was introduced, complete with cotton candy, face painting, and classic carnival games. The camp also hosted its first Apache Relay race in years, which turned out to be a massive success, with the red team clinching the Color War victory that exact same week. The second consecutive Watermelon Day featured a hilarious counselor-blindfolded obstacle course, endless watermelon treats, themed crafts, and a special appearance by Captain Melon. Jewish Tidewater’s Shinshinim led a meaningful Israel Day, and the summer season wrapped up with a camp-wide cookout featuring burgers, hot dogs, and plenty of refreshing pool time.

 Teenagers took part in four Mitzvah projects throughout the summer, marking a historic first for the program. They traveled to Mutts with A Mission for a site beautification project, assisted Jewish Family Service by assembling birthday baskets for the local food pantry, learned all about air pollution and recycling at the Brock Environmental Center with Lynnhaven River Now, and wrapped up their community service by cleaning up litter across the Sandler Family Campus. The teens also enjoyed field trips to Norfolk Tides games, the Adventure Park, Croatan Beach, Owl Creek Landing, Ocean Breeze, and other local spots.

 Camp JCC is ready to keep the excitement going as School Days Out programs quickly approach. Registration opens at the beginning of September for Veterans Day, Winter Break Camp, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, and Spring Break Camp.

To learn more about Camp JCC, contact Kate-Lynn Cipolla, director of Camp, at klcipolla@ujft.org or 757-321-2306.

 Eight athletes represented TeamVB; five basketball players, two soccer players, and one Access athlete.  Joining the Southside veterans of Shanny Zach (soccer), Oliver Scolnick (Access), and Leo Gottlieb and Ashten Konikoff (3v3 basketball) were four athletes from the Peninsula, Dylan Preston and Eli Green and Seth Green (3v3 basketball), and Mia Green (soccer).  

 Mia Green and Shanny Zach played on the same 17-and-under girls’ soccer team with players from Toronto, Tucson, and Vancouver, finishing in a tie for fifth place.  The boys formed one team for the 17-and-under boys 3-on-3 basketball in which they went undefeated and won the gold medal.  Coach Chris Queman led the Maccabi 3v3 team from Virginia Beach for the third time, and this is his first gold medal.  Oliver Scolnick won six medals in a variety of sports, basketball, bowling, soccer, and swimming, while participating with more than 30 other athletes in the Access division that incorporates sports and activities for those with developmental hurdles. 

  Approximately 2,000 Jewish teenagers were in Toronto for the week, creating an unforgettable experience for every participant and volunteer.  

 Team Virginia Beach will go to the JCC Maccabi Games and Access in Austin, Texas in 2027. The team seeks Jewish teens, ages 13-17, who want to join in celebrating Jewish peoplehood, to meet new Jewish friends from around the globe, and to have the greatest week of their life.  

Contact Tom Edwards for more information at 757-321-2308 or TEdwards@SimonFamilyJCC.org. 

Tom Edwards is athletics director and delegation head for Team Virginia Beach at the JCC Maccabi Games & Access for the Simon Family JCC.

 In a special surprise, the Virginia Beach Police Department also greeted students outside the building to wish them a wonderful school year. Children—and even some parents—were all smiles chatting with the officers. 

 For SIA, the start of the school year coincided with some fun and positive news: Strelitz International Academy was voted Best Daycare, Best Child Development Center, and Best Private School in Virginia Beach in the 2026 Best of Virginia Media contest. 

 Looking past the first week of school, SIA has a jam-packed year planned, in addition to the learning, growing, and excitment happening in the classrooms. Parent Night, the 38th Annual Bob Josephberg Classic Golf Tournament at Virginia Beach National on Wednesday, September 2, and the 4th Annual SIA Fall Festival on October 25, among other events. 

Interested in learning what makes SIA award-winning? Schedule a personalized tour by contacting Ally St. Pierre, 

 Member Sid Bridge led a joyful Carlebach infused Shabbat service, with the youngest members (led by Niv Rubin) often taking over the bima and capably leading prayers.  Participants were truly dancing in the aisles!

 If the spirit in the room weren’t enough by itself, the Shabbat dinner that followed increased camaraderie, connection, and community.  As recipients of a Tidewater Jewish Foundation Community Impact Grant, KBH hosted this program to show the multi-use strength and flexibility of the Sandler Family Campus; to showcase the Cardo Cafe’s excellent kosher catering; and to welcome young families to a child-friendly and affordable Shabbat experience.

 KBH is grateful to the TJF for their generous support, to Latoya Haspberry and the Cardo Cafe for preparing the delicious meal, to the campus leaders and staff for their set-up assistance, and to the KBH schleppers and set-up team for anything else that needed doing.

For more information about Kehillat Bet Hamidrash, visit kbhsynagogue.org or email kbhsynagogue@gmail.com.   For information about Tidewater Jewish Foundation, go to jewishva.org.

 More than a meeting, the occasion was a celebration of JFS’s decades-long commitment to caring for individuals and families across Hampton Roads through the enduring Jewish values of chesed (loving kindness), tzedakah (justice through giving), and tikkun olam (repairing the world).

 One of the meeting’s highlights was the installation of Steve Brown as the new president of the JFS board of directors. Brown will serve a two-year term, helping guide the organization as it continues to meet the changing needs of the community with compassion and dignity. The organization also recognized Stephanie Peck, outgoing board president, for her dedication and leadership. Peck served as president from April 2024 through June 2026, and her commitment helped strengthen JFS’s mission of serving others with respect, responsibility, and heart.

 Kelly Burroughs, JFS CEO, presented the Distinguished Community Service Award to Lawrence Steingold in recognition of his many years of dedicated service to Jewish Family Service. Steingold has served as a board member, board president, and treasurer. His leadership reflects the Jewish principle of avodah, sacred work done in service of others. Steingold’s long-standing commitment has helped JFS grow, adapt, and continue providing care to people who need it most.

 The Distinguished Community Partner Award was presented to St. Stephen Martyr Catholic Church for its generosity and dedication to clients in the Public Adult Guardianship program. Each Christmas, members of the church ensure that every client receives a thoughtful gift, reminding them that they are remembered and cared for during the holiday season. This partnership is an example of neighbors coming together across faith traditions to uphold the shared values of dignity, compassion, and care for the vulnerable.

 Rabbi Pinchas Zimmer shared an inspiring D’var Torah, offering words that connected the day’s celebration to the deeper responsibility of community: to see one another, to care for one another, and to pass that responsibility from one generation to the next. 

 Guests enjoyed a delicious Mediterranean lunch catered by Charlie’s Mediterranean.

 Over the past year, JFS has continued to make a difference throughout Hampton Roads. In 2025, JFS provided 362 medical transports for seniors, delivered 7,458 meals to homebound individuals, assisted 346 Jewish individuals with food and financial support, delivered 984 holiday gifts to seniors, and provided court-appointed guardianship services to 1,333 adults. Behind each number is a person, a family, and a moment when help arrived with dignity. Together, these services reflect not only a year of impact, but a legacy built over decades of showing up for the community in times of need, transition, celebration, and uncertainty.

 One of the most meaningful parts of the afternoon was seeing so many generations of the JFS family together in one place. Former leaders, current board members, staff, volunteers, donors, and long-term supporters gathered to honor the organization’s past while looking toward its future. Their presence reflected the Jewish value of l’dor v’dor, from generation to generation, reminding everyone that the work of JFS is both an inheritance and a promise: to preserve what has been built, to strengthen what is needed today, and to ensure that compassionate care continues for generations to come.

 The Biennial Meeting was a celebration of leadership, service, and community, as well as a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helps Jewish Family Service continue making a difference every day. For decades, JFS has stood as a trusted source of support, compassion, and practical assistance. Guided by Jewish values and sustained by the dedication of its community, JFS will continue to provide care, dignity, and hope for individuals and families now and for generations to come.

Julie Kievit is Jewish Community Services manager at Jewish Family Service.

 To help meet those challenges, educators from across the region gathered this summer for the 2026 Tidewater Inclusive Educators’ Conference, a partnership between the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, and Jewish Peninsula. The conference was made possible through a grant from Tidewater Jewish Foundation, reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening inclusive schools, meaningful Holocaust education, and respectful communities throughout the region.

The two-day conference equipped teachers, administrators, counselors, librarians, and other education professionals with practical strategies for creating classrooms where students feel valued, respected, and engaged. Sessions focused on building positive classroom cultures, addressing antisemitism and other forms of bias, establishing healthy boundaries, and helping students become positive contributors to their school communities.

 The conference’s second day took participants to the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond where they explored ways to teach Holocaust history in meaningful and engaging ways. Educators examined how Holocaust education can help students understand the consequences of prejudice, strengthen critical-thinking skills, and draw connections between history and contemporary civic responsibility.

 Librarian and media specialist Kindra Mosher highlighted ways Holocaust education can be integrated across disciplines, demonstrating how history, language arts, media literacy, and civics can work together to deepen student learning and engagement.

 A common theme emerged throughout the conference: creating inclusive classrooms is ongoing work that requires intention, empathy, and preparation. Participants left with new ideas, practical tools, and a renewed commitment to building learning environments where every student feels they belong.

 To support that work beyond the conference, attendees were introduced to resources, including VCIC’s Combating Antisemitism and Bias in Schools guide. Available in the resources tab at InclusiveVA.org/programs/belonging, the guide provides educators with strategies for recognizing and addressing bias and fostering inclusive school communities. The JCRC also highlighted its Five-Year Calendar of Jewish Holidays and Observances, a resource shared with school administrators, elected officials, and community leaders to help increase awareness of Jewish practices and avoid potential scheduling conflicts with major holidays and observances.

To learn more about the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, visit InclusiveVA.org. To learn more about Jewish Community Relations Council, visit JewishVA.org/JCRC. To learn more about the Holocaust Commission, visit HolocaustCommission.org.

Find the Five-Year Calendar at JewishVA.org/5-Year.

 Participants experienced an evening of paddling and community connection, which was elevated by the insightful teachings of Rabbi Michael Panitz from Temple Israel and Rabbi Pinchas Zimmer from B’nai Israel. The rabbis shared words of Torah that beautifully connected Jewish wisdom with the surrounding nature and sunset. Their teachings provided all the spiritual light needed for a memorable night on the water.

To learn more about NextGen events and how to register, visit www.JewishVA.org/NextGen or email Hannah Yasemsky, engagement coordinator, at Hyasemsky@ujft.org.

 Boarding a charter bus, the 30 participants first stopped at the Session Café located in the original hospital building at the top of a hill on 67th Street. The Cafe’s seating boasts an almost entirely clear view of the oceanfront as tables wrap around a sun porch of the front and sides of the building. It also overlooks a stone labyrinth and reflexology path, as well as a meditation garden with a fishpond and bamboo forest. 

 Next, the group moved to the main Visitor Center and spent half an hour perusing the bookstore and gift shop. It was a warm day, so others sat and gathered in the foyer watching an informational video on Cayce. 

 Two knowledgeable guides led the group on a tour that started on the third floor where the Meditation Room is located. The room has seating for about 40 people, with a floor-to-ceiling view of the ocean, as well as large crystals in each corner. Vibrant stained-glass box windows shone at the top of one of the walls, each color representing one of the chakras. 

 Originally from Kentucky, Cayce decided to build the hospital in Virginia Beach after “being directed to do so in a reading.” Attendees learned that he saw himself as a servant and his mission was to offer practical, spiritual, and holistic guidance for living a purposeful life. Known as the Sleeping Prophet, the guide explained Cayce’s process of giving readings in a self-hypnotic state.

 The library is located on the second floor and although it was closed for renovations, it houses the sofa that Cayce laid on during his readings as well as an abundance of books on all aspects of spirituality. Detailed readings by Cayce are also archived and available for members of the center to view and study. 

 The trip was a success and proved that outings are desired by the senior community. In fact, at least five people wanted to join after the registration date closed. 

For more information on the Senior Club, senior activities, or to offer suggestions and feedback, contact Sarah Cooper at scooper@ujft.org or call 757-452-3184. 

 Moskowitz, a widely published author and educator who grew up in Richmond and spent a year in Virginia Beach as a child, attending Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, drew on ideas from his book, Ancestral Allyship during the presentation. In the book, he connects themes of identity, responsibility, and belonging to the weekly Torah portion. His teaching at the event emphasized that allyship is not a static label, but an ongoing practice rooted in Jewish values and lived experience.

 The conversation was moderated by Deb Segaloff, who highlighted Moskowitz’s ability to bring traditional texts into contemporary discussions. “[He] chooses to focus on inclusion and the many things that unite us as people,” says Segaloff. “He gives hope to the many LGBTQ+ Jews that want to belong and be part of the community.”

 Throughout the evening, Moskowitz encouraged participants to remain open to the perspectives and experiences of others, framing that openness as a core element of both Jewish learning and allyship. The event was attended by people of all faiths and backgrounds. “It was a wonderful event,” says Alicia “Sunny” Peoples, co-chair of the Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission. “As someone whose faith tradition is intersectional, I loved the conversation.”

 Moskowitz also returned to the principle that all people are created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God, and challenged attendees to consider what that belief means in practice. His reflections connected traditional sources with contemporary conversations around identity and community, offering a perspective that was both rooted in Jewish texts and responsive to present-day realities.

The program was held in partnership with the Jewish Book Council, Hampton Roads Pride, and the LGBT Life Center of Hampton Roads, and was funded in part by the citizens of Virginia Beach through a grant from the City of Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission.

For more information about Arts + Ideas programming, contact Hunter Thomas at HThomas@UJFT.org or 757-965-6137.

 The celebration began on May 4 with an exploration of Moses Jacob Ezekiel, a complex figure in American Jewish art history. An intimate group gathered at the Sandler Family Campus for a screening of Moses Ezekiel: Portrait of a Lost Artist, which prompted conversation about the tension between Ezekiel’s artistic achievements and his support of the Confederacy. Alex Pincus and other members of the Pincus family, who are descendants of Ezekiel, spoke briefly about the family connection and what they knew about the complicated man.

 That dialogue extended to two guided tours at the Norfolk Botanical Garden the following week where participants encountered Ezekiel’s work in the Moses Ezekiel Statuary Vista Garden. Standing among the Carrara marble sculptures he created in Rome, attendees engaged with his legacy, deepening reflection on how his art and local history intersect.

 The exploration of Jewish artistic legacy continued with docent-led tours of Architects of Being: Louise Nevelson and Esphyr Slobodkina at the Chrysler Museum of Art. Led in large part by Harry Graber, longtime community leader and former UJFT CEO, the tours highlighted the innovation of these groundbreaking Jewish artists. Participants engaged with themes of immigration, identity, resilience, and creativity, gaining a deeper appreciation for the lasting influence Jewish American artists have had on the nation’s cultural fabric. “[The exhibit] was an epiphany,” says Lorna Orleans. “Very able docent Harry Graber led the visit with great knowledge and humor. After visiting this exhibit, one was left with the impression that these two women were literally and figuratively truly architects of their own being.”

 On May 6, JAHM was marked at Harbor Park, where families and friends from the Jewish communities on both sides of the water gathered for the Norfolk Tides’ inaugural Jewish American Heritage Night. UJFT and the United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula had approached the Tides to organize the night last year, but inclement weather on two separate dates led to postponing it until 2026. Highlights of the evening included Tidewater native and award winning Jewish country artist Troy Breslow’s performance of the National Anthem, and local Cox High School pitcher MJ Lemke – recently signed to play Division I baseball at the University of Richmond – making the ceremonial first pitch.

 The month closed with a residency of author, educator, and musician Jason Schachter McKinney, whose programming invited participants of all ages and backgrounds to reflect on identity and belonging. Through school visits, performances, synagogue engagements, and interfaith dialogue, McKinney used music and storytelling to explore what it means to hold multiple identities while building community.

 At Butts Road Intermediate School, McKinney read his new book, Jason Belongs to 120 third grade students, sparking enthusiastic questions about language, heritage, and growing up in a multicultural family. The visit concluded the school’s JAHM programming and SOL testing season.

 McKinney also participated in UJFT’s Annual Celebration of Lifelong Learning, this year held at the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center, where he offered an intimate concert, singing traditional Jewish songs and spirituals in his signature operatic baritone voice. “The Jewish Museum provided a beautiful setting,” says Nancy Bangel. 

“Jason filled the room with his larger-than-life powerful voice that filled me with emotion.” Normon Soroko, president of JMCC, adds, “The event was wonderful. Chazan McKinney gave one of the best performances I have seen in a while.”

 McKinney also visited area synagogues, beginning at Ohef Sholom Temple where he served as a guest speaker and led the congregation in a rendition of Oseh Shalom that he composed. He also participated in services at Kehillat Beit Hamidrash alongside congregants and clergy from Temple Israel and Temple Emmanuel, where his music and storytelling added a meaningful dimension to prayer and communal connection. 

 McKinney’s residency concluded with an interfaith service at Second Presbyterian Church with Pastor Craig Wansink, music director Bob Shoup, and Rabbi Michael Panitz, helping to bridge communities through an exploration of faith through music. Wansink says that having McKinney as a guest “made for a meaningful and memorable experience,” expressing gratefulness on behalf of his congregation.

 Together, these programs created a multifaceted portrait of Jewish American Heritage Month, inviting the community to engage with the complexity of Jewish American experience, as well as with the ongoing work of building belonging across difference.